Bar Kochba

Scottish Jewish Archives Centre

The Bar Kochba was set up in 1933 and was the first Jewish sports club in Glasgow. It was based in the Talmud Torah building in Turriff Street and was the precursor of the Glasgow Maccabi which is still in existence today.

Maccabi clubs were first founded in Central and Eastern Europe c 1900 when Jews were forbidden to join local sports and social clubs. They set up their own clubs, putting an emphasis on developing physical fitness for reasons of self-defence. The clubs soon came to play an important social and cultural role in the community as well. Maccabi was introduced to Britain in the 1930s and in 2003 the organisation is active in fifty-five countries.